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SG 2000 expresses concern over non-release of counterpart fund by 4 states

By Aliyu DANLADI

The Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG 2000) has expressed concern over the inability of four state governments to redeem their counterpart funding for the implementation of its intervention programmes.

The SG 2000 Country Director, Prof. Sani Ahmed-Miko, made the complaint at a news conference/dinner in Kano.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the organisation to review the media field day tour, during which the team visited local farmers and other beneficiaries of its various intervention programmes in Kano, Jigawa and Gombe states, last week.

He listed the four states that had allegedly defaulted from 2016 to 2018 as Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau and Zamfara.

“We invited all the stakeholders for a meeting where we discussed the problem but out of eight states, four redeemed their counter part funding.

“Those states that have paid are Adamawa, Jigawa, Gombe and Kano states while Zamfara, Bauchi, Kaduna and Plateau are yet to pay,“he said.

He noted that the inability of the four states to pay up had negatively affected the activities of the organisation in the affected states.

He, therefore, called on the states to do something urgently to ensure effective implementation of SG 2000 programmes in there areas.

The SG 2000 Country Director said the organisation had within the last 26 years of its existence in the country, been able to raise the capacity of extension workers which in turn changed the face of farming in the country.

“We are rolling out a strategic plan with a view to bringing government institutions to see the technologies we are using to upscale them for the benefit of farmers in the country.“

Also, the Managing Director of Kano state Agricultural Development Authority (KNARDA), Prof. Mahmoud Daneji, said the government planned to establish Farmer Information Centre in five local government areas of the state.

He said when established, the centres would serve as interactive avenues where local farmers would meet and discuss agriculture and other related issues.

He commended the SG 2000 for its various intervention programmes meant for improving the living conditions of local farmers in the country.

He called for the sustenance of the partnership between the two organisations to support small holder farmers to improve their productivity for enhanced agricultural production in the state.

The media field day tour, organised by the organisation was also attended by two of its officials from its Africa Regional office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

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